Tesla CEO Reveals Second-Gen Roadster to Launch in 2015

The Roadster’s replacement will remain on the back burner until the launch of the mass market EV.

The Tesla Roadster shared a platform with the Elise and Exige so when Lotus ended production of these sports cars, the Roadster had no choice but to bow out of the market. A successor has been promised and the second-generation Tesla Roadster was expected to arrive sometime in 2014. However Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, has revealed the launch has been pushed back to late 2015.

Speaking with Inside Line, Musk said that the replacement roadster will be delayed until after the company launches its 'Gen 3' electric car, a smaller and less expensive EV for the masses. It was initially planned to bring the third-gen Tesla to market in 2016, but Musk said that "we're now thinking early 2015." An unfortunate side-effect of this is that the launch of the Roadster successor will have to be pushed back. Tesla's Gen 3 platform will be shorter, lighter and cheaper to make than the second-gen platform that underpins the upcoming Model X crossover and Model S Sedan.

The original Tesla Roadster's successor will share its underpinnings with the mainstream model, which is set to rival the likes of the BMW 3-Series and come in at less than $30,000. Photos displayed are of the 2011 Tesla Roadster 2.5